Amsterdam is without a doubt the gay capital of Europe,
and not just on Queen’s Day! If you’re coming from one of the less tolerant parts of the US, you’ll find the supportive atmosphere refreshing. On the whole, gay men and lesbians enjoy great acceptance in the Netherlands. Homosexuality was decriminalized in 1811 (yes, 1811). While Americans are rightfully proud of Stonewall, Dutch queers are quick to remind visitors that Amsterdam has had a vital gay culture with bars and other meeting places since the early part of this century. One of the city’s most famous gay nightspots, ‘t Mandje, owned by Dutch lesbian foremother Bet van Beeren, opened its doors in 1927. (Unfortunately, it closed in 1983, but the legend
lives on.)
The watershed in Amsterdam came in 1955
, over a decade before Stonewall, when the first gay hotels and many famous caf’s and bars opened. The DOK (De Odeon Keller) at Singel 460 became arguably the best-known gay disco in the pre-Stonewall world. The COC (a gay support organization founded in 1949) was sponsoring dance nights, too, that were just as popular with Amsterdammers then as they are today. The notorious Amsterdam leather scene also took off in the ’50s at Hotel Tiemersma, a converted cigar shop at Warmoesstraat 20. By the ’60s, the business had expanded to include the famous Argos bar, which marked a shift toward the new ultra-masculine gay aesthetic.
But Amsterdam’s gay history isn’t all about bars.
The Dutch government’s response to the AIDS crisis serves as a model for other nations. Today the state recognizes domestic partners and extends many benefits to them that queer Americans still dream of. In 1993, discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in job hiring became illegal. At this writing, the fight for total access to social programs continues, but a positive outcome seems likely. Maybe that’s why, according to some estimates, 20 to 30 percent of the population of Amsterdam is queer
